rpfc

Nah. Bate has been good. He has been the best forward in a forward line getting the fewest Inside 50s and delivered by blokes who seem to think getting the ball over the red curved line in the grass is all you have to worry about. Most goals and second most assists tells me you need to go back and try again. Biggest disappointment is PA not turning up on the day and the distinct possibility that we will be punished because of it.

What?! No he isn't. Back to the end of the queue, DJL.

You're right - Daniel Rich is good... I'll take two, thanks. "So MR.rpfc if we lose to the Tigers and NM, we get to have two Daniel Rich type midfielders instead of one?" That's right, Timmy. "Well, jeez, Mr.rpfc, I think we should play as many youngsters as we can and give ourselves the best chance of making that happen and winning a premiership." So do I, Timmy. "Besides, if we weren't tanking I wouldn't be able to see Petterd play in the middle, or Morton play on Goodes, or McKenzie get a game, or see whether Batram, Miller, Newton, Dunn, Valenti, Cheney, or PJ are up to it." That's an effing good point, Timmy.

I hope you meant 'bleed FOR the club.' Otherwise you would be insinuating that the previous board stole money from the club. If you are insinuating that - YOU are the biggest disgrace on this board. Here are some facts for you: TJ was a disappointment as a player and a person and we got Grimes because of his trade. Robbo deserves respect as a very good player for the MFC but his last game will be against St Kilda in Rd 22. The previous board didn't do what it set out to do, but to accuse the selfless people who have done more than the club than others (including your clueless self) of deliberately putting us in this predicament is pathetic.

I was thinking back to how bad PA were and whether history was repeating. Goodes was awful, infact, half of the Sydney team were complaining and screaming at each other. They are adhering to Dylan Thomas's advice: they are not going gently into that good night... They seem to be struggling like hell with it. And blaming each other.

Agree with you up till the Bruce trade. Green and Bruce should be the only players older than 26 on our list next year. Green brings a positive influence (on and off the field) to a group that will challenge after he's gone, and Bruce will be able to show how to get the best out of yourself and run 20km's a game to whoever we pick up for our midfield and the kids already there. Look, I wanted to trade Bruce two years ago, and Green last year, but they're value has evaporated and it would be more beneficial to get them to mould our future.

How dare you insinuate that Miller or Newton were tanking!! I mean, Whitnall missed those goals in 2007 because of the fact that he was crap. You can be disgusted at the selectors but don't sit there and type that Miller and Newton were missing goals on purpose. Players' don't tank. And who would want to have a win over the rabble that was the Sydney Swans on Sunday be the difference between us and a PP? Why are people so in love with crappy, scrappy wins against sides that don't turn up on the day, at the end of another losing year?

Again, the angrier you get the harder it will be. Disappointment would be a better emotion, it'll help you move on. Remember we're doing this so you can have two shiny toys to play with instead of one. Toys that will help us win lots of games of footy. True Believer - "But I want to win games of footy now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Ok, big guy. Can somebody get True Believer 'AFL Premiership 2007' on the PS2? It'll keep him occupied...

Her point, you arrogant little fella, is that Morton did the same thing more than once in his debut season. And you have his name adorning your username. This place needs a thread police, this is a waste of internet. Al Gore would be turning in his grave...

Why start your own thread on this? Bump one the dozen on here already. And 'what's our stance'? Read the thousands of posts already littered on this site, and you'll find out. There is even a poll...

He's a kid, they do that from time to time. In fact, your username illustrates a fondness for a player that has 'pulled out of contests' on more than one occasion. Bennell will be a very good player.

Yeah, he is.

I feel for you, buddy. But sometimes you have to get your hands dirty to get something done. Try to understand wher ethe club is coming from or you'll go insane.

I don't think he has the title 'Development Coach.' And I don't think he is directly employed by the Dees. But, for all intents and purposes, he is.

Different Liddle, and he plays for Coburg. Casey's Liddle wasn't great, did about 5 good things. Basically, Jetta without the love for the contest.

Whose spot will he take? We're rebuilding - hard decisions have to be made.

I'm sorry was this thread bumped from 2006? Or when Woey was playing? Get real - we're crap and the quicker everyone realises that the easier the next three weeks will be...

Some of you above are kidding yourselves - this is tanking in all its glory. McLean played with his injury against Geelong and Green has been playing hurt for a month. They are out because they are tough and could still contribute, and we might win a game in the next three weeks. I am all for what we are doing, but don't sit there and type something we are not doing. We are not taking risks with players that we would normally do if we wanted to win a game. We are giving players opportunitities they would normally not get. We are playing people in positions they are not used to. These are the tools of tanking - we are going out of our way to lose. Again, I'm all for it but don't tell me it isn't tanking.

That's a great attitude, and you can continue arguing if you like there is nothing wrong with that. To you, and a few others on this board who don't like us tanking (and we are tanking people - McLean hurt himself a week ago and Green a month ago. Dress it up and call it pretty things but it is what it is): This is the best thing that the club can do in the circumstances it is in. We are bad enough to be 'rewarded' (this will be our 50th loss since 2007 on the weekend) and to not be 'rewarded' because of some forgettable win against Richmond is in no-one's best interest. We're just doing what we have to do, to do the things we want to do.

I'm not sure we are faking injuries, only overreacting to those injuries. And this is not incompetence by DB - it's a masterstroke. Sauron's eye this weekend is focused to the west for the Derby. Next weekend it will swing back east for the August 2nd debacle between us and the Tigers, when I go to the footy and hope my team loses... He can keep the injured out another week, make Sylvia do penance, and bring back a few names to give the illusion of a team that isn't doing something it is clearly doing. Well played, Mr Bailey - You are no mere hobbit. (And for those who aren't LoTR fans - Sauron's eye is a metaphor for media spotlight.)

And I now why vincehotboy is 'bleeding red and blue'... He's got a massive headwound...

Correct. Bailey is just continuing a course, started by ND (Newton), continued (to an extent) by Riley, and ramped up considerably when DB came to the club. Why change course with 6 games to go? That's a rhetorical question, so no-one needs to answer...

I wouldn't respect you any less if you stuck to your guns. My personal view on this is Bailey is finishing the task that started halfway through 2007 and he ramped up in 08 to give youth opportunities (Weetra, Garland, Frawley, Bennell, Jetta, Watts, Jurrah, Grimes, Cheney, Spencer, Maric, Morton, Valenti, and, possibly, McKenzie, McNamara, and Bail), wrap players in cotton wool (Rivers, Moloney, McLean, and Jamar in 08 and Garland, Maric, Strauss, Bell, Meesen, Green, and Grimes in 09), and develop players in foreign positions (Grimes - HBF, Martin - Ruck, Petterd - FP, Bate - FF, and Jones - Tagger). It just so happens that those techniques are also the tools of tanking. We're just finishing the job.

Winning stopped being the priority for this footy club around June 2007. It resumes March 2010. We're tanking, but the tools of tanking have been used by Bailey since he came at the start of 08 - giving blokes a game when they are not ready (Weetra, Garland, Frawley, Watts, Meesen, and Spencer), sending players of for surgery, playing kids ahead of more seasoned professionals (Grimes (Whelan), Cheney and Bennell (Wheatley), Wonaeamirri (Yze) and, recently, Miller has been replaced by Jurrah), and playing blokes out of position (Bate @ FF, Martin in the ruck, Jones as tagger, Morton @ HBF, and Petterd @ FP). We're just cheering on Bailey finishing the job.

Oh, I get it now... You think we're decent?! That Miller and Newton can spearhead a functioning forward line?! That a team with 14 players 22 or younger can beat middling sides?! That's cute. This will be our 50th loss since the start of 2007. Happy Anniversary everyone! Now let's get real, get to 54 against the Saints and let's get fracking good!